Discreet Dash Cam Install

[Metblackrat]

I can but the quality is degraded with the compression. I will look at it again tomorrow and see what I can do.

[softscoop]

I've never noticed it reduced that much. It's good enough to give an idea of the quality

[rlp]

Looks good so I just ordered one, thanks for the link.

[Nikonite]

Got mine this morning, took 30 minutes to fit using the radio permanent live for now. Also goes into the aux video on my head unit which is handy and the quality seems great for the money. Pleased customer here

[Metblackrat]

http://youtu.be/YYg5w3j9qrA

 

Here's a link to a short trip taken using the camera. I put the music on at a reasonable volume so you can gauge the mic quality. Watch the Audi towards the end. This is why it was fitted.....

[Damo]

Thats great for the money!

 

See what you mean, about distortion at the very edge, but still excellent

[softscoop]

Yeah very good for the price. I might invest in one for the rear of my car

[mbames]

On a different note, I just discoved the mk3 focus powers its cigaretter lighter socket for 20 minutes and then powers down.... that would be a really handy feature for the Octy to have.  Anyone know where the magic for making that happen is?

 

At the moment my camera is on an ignition feed, so I find that it takes it a while to reinit after say stopping for fuel.

[exFiesta]

On a different note, I just discoved the mk3 focus powers its cigaretter lighter socket for 20 minutes and then powers down.... that would be a really handy feature for the Octy to have.  Anyone know where the magic for making that happen is?

 

At the moment my camera is on an ignition feed, so I find that it takes it a while to reinit after say stopping for fuel.

 

 

My Mi-witness came with one of these: 

 

http://www.advanced-incar.co.uk/mi-witness-hd/smart-power-battery-monitor

 

It monitors the battery level once the ignition is turned off and cuts power when it drops below a set voltage (either 12.2 or 11.8V). There may be other similar things around (it's not exactly cheap - reference/manufacturer code is 'SKYBATT SB-0A'). 

Edited 7 May, 2015 by exFiesta

[mikey vrs]

Mine arrived today,hope to find time to fit it this weekend. 

 

Im new to this memory card stuff....how do i get the footage off the memory card onto my laptop? 

[Metblackrat]

Plug it into the card reader using an SD card adapter (basically a card extender that makes it into a full sized SD card). Open the SD card folder and double click the file you want to watch. Your PC should choose the default program to play an AVI file.

[Nikonite]

I don't think mine has that distortion, if it does it seems to be much less obvious:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99bOV37vSTA&feature=youtu.be

[softscoop]

Am I right in thinking it doesn't have a plug on the end of the cable? Is it just 2 bare wires as per the Techmoan review?

[Nikonite]

Mine was just two bare wires on the end and yellow phono

[mikey vrs]

I fitted mine at the weekend,yeah it doesnt come with a cig lighter type connector,just 3 wires (earth,live & ignition live) & another connector to connect to a dvd type unit? i hard wired mine into the fuse box,i bought a female type cig lighter connector thinking it would connect to that but it doesnt.  im just waiting for my memory card adaptor to arrive then i can view the last few days driving & see what the camera is like. 

[Metblackrat]

Am I right in thinking it doesn't have a plug on the end of the cable? Is it just 2 bare wires as per the Techmoan review?

It has a switched live, a permanent live and an earth connection plus the AV out.

[adamal]

So why does it need a permanent live??

[Metblackrat]

So why does it need a permanent live??

Without it, the camera would shut down when the ignition is powered down and the camera wouldn't finalise the last recording into a readable file.

[adamal]

Ok thanks. I guess there is no battery backup then.

[mikey vrs]

I viewed some footage off my camera today,quality seems good,my only problems are i have no sound & the time & date are wrong so it looks like im going to have to borrow/buy a portable dvd player to plug the camera into to get into the settings menu & turn the sound on & update the date & time,also my other issue is i suspect with my pc as it lets me view the first 3 minutes of footage then comes up with a box saying"windows doesnt support this type of file". 

[Metblackrat]

As it only needs setting up once (unless the battery is disconnected) I took a computer monitor outside and hooked it up, powering it with an extension lead.

[mikey vrs]

I cant see where i would plug the camera connector into my laptop? ive had enough now as for some reason it will play the first two journeys ok but all the rest have come up as a AVI file & my pc wont play them,i think its my laptop not a fault with the camera but dont know why the first two are ok but not the rest?  Grrrr. 

[mikey vrs]

I think i have been sent a faulty camera as it has recorded my first 2 journeys ok but all the rest are coming up "unsupported file" & either wont work or the odd one that does has no picture & is all scrambled with a weird noise being played,i tried another memory card today & the camera hasnt even recorded any journeys onto this one......i will contact the seller & see what the will do about it.....

[softscoop]

Are you sure you haven't got a fake or dodgy memory card?

[mikey vrs]

Softscoop,i did wonder that as the first 2 recordings were fine then all the following were not,i have tried another memory card today & the camera has recorded my journey to work but not my journey home.....very weird,i am going to buy another memory card tomorrow,the first two came from sellers on ebay,i will call in to a pc world/currys & buy one & try that,if its still not recording correctly then it must be a faulty camera,a lad at work asked if i have formatted the card before using it,i havent,would that make a difference?